Fill cap



A. JONCHA May 28, 1929.

FILL CAP Filed Jan. 18, 1928 INVENTOR. ANTON JONCHA.

ATTORNEY.

I llml Patentd May 28, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON JNCHA, OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO OIL PRODUCTS .APPLIANCECO., OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF 'ILLINOIS.

FILL CAP. r

Application filed January 18, 1928. Serial No. 247,(542.

The invention is an improvement in caps for filling tubes of tanks suchas employed by the usual filling station.

It is customary to furnish the filling station with free equipment,including a large capacity tank, usually buried in the ground, and withpumps, the oonsideration being the exclusive right to supply the demandsof the tank or tanks so installed. The tanks are charged through fillingtubes provided with removable caps and unscrupulous dealers have beenknown to take advantage of this in order to substitute a cheaper andinferior product to the manifest damage to the business and good will ofthe producer. With the View of overcoming this dishonest practice, it

is now the custom to provide a lock 'for the cap. Locked filling capssufi'erthe dis'advantage that they must be constructed to permit the useof a gauge rod and under some circumstances the opening for the passageof the gauge rod has been used to introduce inferior materials into thetank.

cap is earried by a sleeve section threaded onto the fillin tube and, asthe sleeve can be disconnected rom the tank, notwithstanding the lookedcap, to open the filling tube, it has been proposed and is more or lesscustomary to rivet or otherwise 'positively secure the sleeve section tothe filling pipe, but this has proven trouble'some and unsatisfaetory.

The principal obj ect of the invention is the provison of a cap forfilling tubes which conveniently can besecured in such way as to preventits removal without detection, the

cap having an openin for the reception of a gauge rod, which w ileeffective for that purpose may not be used for filling purposes. Theinvention in its preferred embodiment 40 is illustrated in theacoompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved oap and a portionof the filling-tube, the eap-sleeve being broken away to show thelooking means between such sleeve and the filling tube.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the oap-sleeve, the cap proper being removedand thefilling tube being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view through the cap-sleeve and fillingtube illustrating the interlock between these part-5.'

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the filling tube, with the cap-sleevein broken section.

Furthermore, the' The filling tube 1, which leads to and communieateswith a tank (not shown) has its upper open end suitably extended topermit convenient refilling of the tank. Its open end is provided with acap, which must be capable of formin a complete closure to preventunauthorize accessibility to the interior of the tank and must befurther capable of permitting ready gauging of the contents of the tankat any time without thereby providing a means for unlawful replenishmentof the tank.

The filling cap so-called embodies a. capsleeve designed to be screwedonto the threaded end of the filling tube and a cap proper designed tobe locked to the cap sleeve or removed therefrom at Will.

The cap-sleeve 2 com rises a skirt portion 3, interiorly threaded orcooperation with the threaded head 4:, of the filling tube, and a fiange5 at the upper endof and 'extend ing radially beyond the skirt 3. Theskirt I 3 is formed below the fiange 5 with an ofl'- set 6, of hollow orbox form and opening through the flange as at 7. The outer wall 8 of theofiset 6 converges towards the wall of the skirt in the same directionas the threads on the filling tube and the bottom 9' of 'the receptacleofiset inclines downwardly in the same direction. The portion of theskirt proper which forms the inner wall of the ofiset is entirely cutaway below the fiange 5, so that in all applied positions of thecap-sleeve the threads on the head of the filling tube are exposed tothe cavity of the ofset 6.

The cap-sleeve 2 is formed, diametrically opposite the offset 6, with akeeper lug 10, having an elongated slot 11. The fiange 5, while'circular in plan, is eccentric to the upper end of the filling tube 1,in order to cover and provide an entrance to the ofiset 6 and isprovided with concentric relatively spaced looking lips 12. C A The capproper 13, comprises a flat plate 14, having a depending collar 15to`fit over the fiange 5, and lugs 16 to cooperate with the looking lips12 to secure the cap against direct separation from the cap-sleeve. Thecap has a lateral keeper lug 17, formed 'With an opening 18, which inthe final position of the cap is designed to register with the keeperlug 10 of the cap-sleeve to permit the application of a look, as 19,through the openings 11 and l8,`and thus with the cooperating lugs 16and lips 12, positively lock the cap proper to the cap-sleeve.

In order to lock the cap-sleeve to the filling tube a ball 20 is placedin the oiset 6 following the application of the cap-sleeve to thefilling tube. When the cap proper is v applied, the entrance to theoffset. is completely covered, and therefore, so long as the cap properis in place, the ball 20 is inaccessible. Any attempt to separate thecapsleeve from the filling tube without first removing the ball 20, willcause the latter to wedge between the wall 8 of the ofiset and thethreads of the filling tube with the inevitable result of mutilating thethreads and eventually rupturing the otfset walL Either result is atell-tale of the attempt to tamper with the tank, and hence, tamperingreadily is detectable. Evidently, the holder of the key of the lock 19,will remove the cap proper in filling the tank but, if .it is necessaryto remove the cap-sleeve for any purpose the cap proper first will beremoved and the ball 20 taken from the offset 6, when the cap-sleevereadily may be separated from the filling tube without damage to eitherpart of the ball clutch.

Aside from means for securing the filling cap against unauthorizedopening it is important that the provision for gauging the contents ofthe tank be serviceable at all times yet without afl'ording a medium forunlawful filling. For this purpose the cap proper is equipped with adome 21 having a gauge stick opening 22 of L form. The gauge stick 23 isof corresp-onding thin L section. For example, the respective wings ofthe gauge stick are about five-eighths of an inch in width andthree-thirty-seconds of an inch in thickness. With the slot 22 4. of anaccurately fitting dimension, it is apprecludes the introduction of anyliquid into the tank. The gauge stick is preferably of aluminum to avoidpossibility of sparks in the introduction or withdrawal of the stick. Asupplemental cap 24, secured to the capsleeve by a chain or the like 25,serves to cover the done 21 and gauging slot when desired. p

The improved cap for the filling tube of fuel or like tanks is soconstructed that when the cap proper is in position on the capsleeve andlocked, the tank is positively closed against the unauthorizedintroduction of any liquid, as any attempt to remove the cap throughremoval of the cap-sleeve will result in such mutilation and rupture ofthe parts as to advertise such unauthorized attempt. The connectionbetween the capsleeve and filling tube, however, is such that thecap-sleeve may be disconnected from the filling tube after removal ofthe cap proper and the further removal of the ball 20 from the ofi'set6.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A cap for filling tubes including a sleeve having threaded connectionwith the tube, said sleeve being formed with an offset, a clutchOperating in said ofiset and serving to prevent disconnection 'of thesleeve and.r

tube, and a cap proper removably engaging the sleeve and covering saidofiset, said cap proper closing the end of the tube.

2. A cap for filling tubes including a sleeve designed to be threadedonto the end of the tube and ;formed with an ofi'set, a ball looselyarranged in said ofiset, the outer wall of the offset cooperating withthe ball to cause it to'operate as'a wedge to prevent relative movementof the 'sleeve and tube in one direction, a cap proper interloekng withthe sleeve and' overlying and closing the ofset, andmeans for lookingthe cap to the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. v ANTON J ON CHA.

